A curated list of ad-free alternatives to popular services on the Internet.
Am I saying you should refrain from using an ad blocker? No. But consider offsetting your act of disobedience with an act of affirmative support. Vote with your wallet. Put some money behind the writing you like—whether it’s a website or a magazine or a newspaper. “But such-and-such website won’t let me pay for it.” Then discover something new.
—Matthew Butterick
Alternatives to ad-supported websites, software, and publications.
- Jitsi Meet - Secure video conferencing and desktop sharing using WebRTC.
- ProtonMail - Free encrypted email.
- Ring - Telephone, teleconferencing, and media sharing through a distributed service.
- Signal - Private messaging and calling for desktop, Android, and iOS.
- Telegram - Cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging app with a focus on security and speed.
- Tox - Encrypted and distributed messaging platform with voice, video, and screen sharing.
- Wire - Text, audio, and video communication with end-to-end encryption.
- Dropfile.to - Anonymous file upload site that does not store user information.
- Mega - 50 GB of secure free storage. Files are encrypted client-side.
- qBittorrent - Free and open source BitTorrent client.
- Amaze File Manager - Open source, Material Design file explorer for Android devices.
- Ready - Minimalist news reader for iOS.
- Libre.fm - Stream, download, remix, and share music for free.
- mStream - Suite of software for syncing and streaming music across multiple devices.
- Adbusters - Magazine about the takeover of psychological, physical, and cultural environments by commercial forces.
- Aeon - Digital magazine that publishes original thinking on science, philosophy, society, and the arts.
- Common Dreams - Progressive news website.
- Consumerist - Independent source of consumer news and information.
- Ello - Media platform for creators and artists that does not sell user data.
- RealSport - Fans write articles on football, basketball, cricket, e-sports, motorsports, and most other sports out there. This site is committed to maintaining an experience free of pop-ups, fake news, click-bait, and ads.
- The Conversation - High quality, authenticated, explanatory journalism funded by universities.
- OpenStreetMap - Map of the world created by users and released under an open license.
- Wikipedia - Encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
- Wiktionary - Dictionary that anyone can edit.
- GNUsocial.no - Allows users to connect and share with each other; expenses are covered by donations.
- Lobsters - Simple link aggregation site with explanations required to downvote.
- Mastodon - Free, open source, and decentralized social network server.
- Quitter.se - Twitter clone that is part of the federated GNU social network.
- Etherpad - Collaborative document editing in real-time.
- ProtectedText - Online encrypted notepad with storage and no sign up.
- Goblin Refuge - Video (and image!) sharing service powered by MediaGoblin.
- Vimeo - Alternative to YouTube for viewing and uploading videos.
- uBlock Origin - General-purpose blocker that removes ads and privacy-invading trackers by default.
- A Call for Revolt: Advertising is the Anti-Minimalism - Opt-out of the advertising game.
- Anti-Consumerism on Wikipedia - Overview of the sociopolitical ideology that opposes consumerism.
- Conscious Success - Explores the idea of conscious success rather than accidental success, using ads as an example.
- Criticism of Advertising on Wikipedia - Overview of common criticisms of advertising.
- Saying Goodbye to $100K Per Year in Easy Income - Story of a blogger who chose a better way to make a living.
- Vote With Your Wallet, Not Your Ad Blocker - Paying for ad-free services casts a bigger vote.
- Ad Free Blog - Icons for showing opposition to the use of corporate advertising on blogs.
- Anti-Advertising Agency - Project that calls into question the purpose and effects of advertising in public space.
- No More Ads Manifesto - Manifesto promoting an Internet that is not a marketplace where users get targeted and profiled for marketing purposes.
- Flattr - Browser add-on that distributes a monthly budget to websites you engage with the most.
- Gratipay - Payment platform for open source projects that only charges processing fees, not its own fees.
- Liberapay - Open source recurring donations platform.
- OpenCollective - Enables groups to set up a collective, raise funds, and manage them transparently.
- Patreon - Recurring funding for artists and creators on either a monthly basis or per creation.